Middle East & North Africa

A coalition of Syrian civil society, activists and lawyers have filed criminal complaints in Germany against some high-ranking Syrian officials under the principle of universal jurisdiction. A first step towards justice for the victims and survivors of all crimes committed in Syria.

By Barbara Unmüßig

Dossiers

With the publication “For democracy” and this online-dossier, we analyze the state of democracy worldwide as well as the possibilities of democracy assistance. At the same time, we provide insights into the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s political work for democracy.

This trilingual webdossier presents analysis and perspectives from a wide range of international and regional experts on how climate change, resource and energy politics relate to political and social change.

Publications

There are many reasons to migrate: This publication provides a forum for scientists from Pakistan, Somalia and El Salvador, people, who had to flee from Syria, Burundi and Malawi as well as migrants and activists from Niger and Senegal to emphasise how little we know about "causes of migration and flight".

The greatest threat facing the Islamic Republic of Iran today is not political, nor economic, but environmental. This report takes stock of the urgent environmental crisis, and assesses the capabilities of civil society and the Iranian authorities to develop and implement effective solutions.

Democracy

The Goethe Medal 2017 will be given to Lebanese writer Emily Nasrallah. In her texts for adults and children, she has found a poetic language to describe everyday life in the Lebanon drawn by the civil war.

By Deema Keadbey

Gender

Afghanistan has been described as the world’s most dangerous country for women. Violence against women (VAW) takes many forms, and has complex and deep roots in the patriarchal culture of the Afghan society. One form of VAW is denying them access to food.

By Weeda Mehran

Ecology

Empowerment for women and youth is one of the main aims of the Moroccan association "The Human Touch". In this interview Fatima Ahouli, general secretary of the NGO, explains why it is so important to involve local residents in the planning of projects in the field of renewable energies.

By Sandra Nenninger

More Articles on Middle East and North Africa

No matter how complex and religiously driven the conflict in Syria may seem, its basic constellation is this: A regime with powerful allies wages a war of annihilation against wide parts of its own population. How could it get to this point? And what is the very least we can do?

Over the past years, tens of thousands of men, women and children in Syria havee become subject to forced disappearances in Syria. On July 12, the film "Syria's Disappeared" was screened in which survivors of Syrian prisons and relatives of some tortured to death speak out.

An interview with migration expert Amr Taha. He is heading the office of International Organization of Migration in Egypt and . In the interview, he talks about on Egypt as a host country of migrants and refugees, as well as a point of departure for migrants heading to Europe.

Introduction

In the Middle East and North Africa region, the Heinrich Böll Foundation maintains offices in Beirut, Ramallah, Tel Aviv, and Tunis, and there are co-operation projects in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and Tunisia. Our Iran activities are coordinated from Berlin.